With the life of Samara’s daughter on the line, Chihiro is forced to fight without Enten for the first time in Kagurabachi chapter 64. Will his training in the art of the blade pay off, or will his mission end before it even begins?

Following Samara’s recovery of Tobimune and subsequent betrayal to the Hishaku, a new status quo has begun in Kagurabachi. Not only is Chihiro now the master of the Masumi, he also can’t use Enten: this is because Tobimune allows Samara to to survey large swathes of land for any trace of the Enchanted Blades with Owl, up to and including entire countries. Using Enten in this situation would only alert Samara to the fact that Chihiro is still alive and well, so our protagonist has no choice but to adapt.

The problem is that Chihiro has been relying on the power of an Enchanted Blade ever since he began his quest of vengeance for his father. Rokuhira, in turn, never trained Chihiro to be a soldier, meaning that his swordsmanship is lacking compared to many of his opponents. How Chihiro will overcome his weaknesses to seize the day is the main question that Kagurabachi chapter 64 deals with, laying key foundations for the future.

Kagurabachi has always had something of a power system, but this is made even clearer in chapter 64 when Chihiro and Ro discuss the concept of ‘spirit energy.’ As it turns out, swordsmen use a special kind of aura in this series in the same way that sorcerers do: only instead of using it to cast spells or use special abilities, it’s all about strengthening the sword and increasing the damage of each strike. Shifting aura dynamically across the body and into the sword is considered par for the course among experienced swordsmen, but Chihiro’s reliance on Enten and lack of training means that he is forced to take a different approach.

The solution that Chihiro eventually settles on is to give up on trying to control his aura on a minute level and instead pour it into the scabbard of his sword, therefore building up energy before each strike. While this brings to mind the techniques of a samurai, it’s also remarkably similar to Samara’s own methods when he isn’t using an Enchanted Blade: this underscores Chihiro’s lingering attachment to Samara, making their inevitable rematch in the future that much more tragic.

All in all, the fact that Chihiro has developed his own spin on the issue of spirit energy is undoubtedly a good thing for Kagurabachi. So far, the series has focused more on big action set pieces and spectacle more than the nitty-gritty of each fight, meaning that a sudden shift into the more minute details could prove somewhat disorienting. Series author Takeru Hokazono needs to keep on fighting his own way, regardless of what the people around him might think.

You can read Kagurabachi chapter 64 in English for free via VIZ Media’s Shonen Jump.